Terminology

Graphical Test Runner UI

The graphical user interface that loads and runs tests (which you launch by selecting Tools >> VI Tester >> Test VIs... from the LabVIEW menubar). When you open a Project, Test Case, or Test Suite, VI Tester searches for tests in Test Cases and Test Suites. You can then run the tests.

Test Suites

A test suite is represented by the core class "TestSuite.lvclass". All test suites inherent from this core class. This core class contains several utility methods for configuring tests in the test suite. Test suites may define a TestSuite.setUp and a TestSuite.tearDown. Set up and tear downs are run once at the start and end of the test suite. They are useful for setting up your environment before any tests are run.

A Test Suite aggregates Test Cases and Test Suites (recursively). It's basically a tree structure.

Test Suites are useful, both for aggregating (or grouping) sets of tests together, and also for allowing those groups to contain a common setup (initialization) and teardown (close) setup.

For example, maybe you have a set of Development tests (that you want to run all the time during development) and a set of Build tests (that you want to run before each build). You might want to share some Test Cases between these two Test Suites, but exclude certain Test Cases from Build until they are fully working.

Test Case

A test class is represented by the core class "TestCase.lvclass". All test cases inherent from this core class. This core class contains several utility methods for setting the pass/fail status, and performing other operations in test methods. This class also contains several other methods that are used by the framework for running tests. Test cases may define a TestCase.setUp and a TestCase.tearDown. Set up and tear downs are run before each test VI in the TestCase. A TestCase.setUp is represent by the member VI "setUp.VI". A TestCase.tearDown is represent by the member VI "tearDown .VI". New test cases can be created from the menu bar by selecting Tools >> VI Tester >> New >> Test Case...

Unit Test

Unit Tests or Test Methods are individual VI which exist in a Test Case. A test case may contain many unit test VIs. All unit test VIs must being with the word "test". New unit tests should be created from the template VI called "testExample.vit". A new unit test can be created by right clicking the template VI and selecting "New VI from Template".